The verdicts delivered in the Stardust inquests “meant so much to us as a family”, Susan Behan, whose 21-year-old brother John Colgan died in the fire, has said.
A jury found that all 48 victims were unlawfully killed on 14 February in 1981, and that the fire started in a hot press as a result of an electrical fault.
Survivors and relatives cheered as the majority verdicts were delivered at Dublin District Coroner’s court, yesterday.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Ms Behan said the verdict had been a long time coming and they were “afraid to even breath at times” yesterday in case they “might not get justice”.
“43 years of wondering and then we finally, finally hear those words. It was just unbelievable,” she said.
“It’s very hard to put it into words to be honest, I actually can’t believe it. I’m so relieved that finally we have the justice we deserve.”
Describing the scene yesterday as the verdicts were being delivered she said there were mixed emotions but that families of victims were happy that “justice had prevailed”.
“It’s not just us saying an injustice has been done, it’s now out there, it has been done, it was unlawful killing,” she said.
“We were just all looking at each other, hugging each other, crying, jumping. It was so emotional for us all.”
Speaking about her brother John, Ms Behan said he was “super special” and his death “ripped” her family apart.
“His death took so much from us,” she said.
“He had a warmness about him, everybody that met him loved him. Even to this day people come up to us and say ‘I knew Johnny, he was a lovely lad’,” she added.
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“It’s such a wonderful thing when people come up and say those things to you. He was special to us, but for other people to say it to you as well.
“He was looking forward to his future, he was excited. I was expecting my first baby. He kept patting my tummy and saying ‘does it know I’m going to be an uncle?’
“All of that was taken – the excitement, the joy. When he left, it just left that hole.”
The families of those who died in the Stardust disaster have called for a State apology.
“We feel like we were ignored,” Ms Behan said.
“It shouldn’t be a big deal for them to turn around and say ‘we’re sorry, we got it wrong’ and apologise to us. It’s the very least they could do,” she said.
“Do the right thing and give the public apology. We deserve it. Our loved ones deserve it.”
